As the homestretch of Season 24 looms, Niall Horan is facing a storm of “Heartbreak Weather” on “The Voice.”
Horan was tasked with slimming down his team of six singers to three during the first round of Playoffs Tuesday night. During the Playoffs round, each contestant takes the stage for a solo performance that will determine if they advance to the top 12 live shows.
One Team Niall singer who was gunning for victory was Julia Roome. The teen vocalist was previously eliminated in the Knockouts round but was brought back by Horan using his Super Save, a new feature that allows each coach to add an eliminated contestant to their team for the Playoffs.
Known for her powerhouse style, Roome impressed the coaches with her heartfelt performance of the Cyndi Lauper ballad “True Colors,” earning praise from John Legend for her dynamic vocal delivery.
“You showed that power in your voice too, but it also had some moments that were more tender,” Legend said. “The fact that you can do all of that with so much power at the age of 13 is pretty phenomenal.”
While Horan was glad to have Roome back in the competition, the Irish pop singer lamented that her strong performance was going to make the process of selecting finalists for Team Niall “extremely difficult.”
“I’m not OK right now,” Horan said afterward. “I might pass out. Send help.”
Here’s what else went down on Tuesday’s episode.
Following a series of riveting performances, Team Niall singers Roome, Nini Iris, Huntley, Claudia B., Mara Justine and Alexa Wildish lined up onstage to learn their “Voice” fate.
The first singer to advance to the next round of the competition was rocker Huntley, who shone with his fiery cover of David Kushner’s “Daylight.” “Huntley’s got such an individual tone in his voice,” Horan said. “There’s not many voices like his, and there’s a real spot for him in our industry.”
Next up was soul-rock singer Iris. The Georgian vocalist blew Horan away with her commanding rendition of “River” by Bishop Briggs. “Nini is the most ready,” Horan said. “She knows exactly who she is. She could win this whole thing.”
Despite having clear frontrunners on his team, Horan balked at the pressure of having to choose a final singer for his team.
“It’s just crazy that I have to make this decision,” Horan said. “I just don’t know how I do it.”
In the end, Horan chose soul-pop maven Justine, who captivated the coaches with her electrifying cover of “You’ve Got the Love” by Florence and the Machine. “Mara’s perfect for the live shows because of the energy she brings,” Horan said.
“Moving into the live shows, I think we all know that Team Niall is the team to beat. The three moving forward are so strong and also completely different singers,” Horan said. “I won Season 23, and I have a good feeling the winner of Season 24 is on Team Niall.”
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